menti.net

d(R)inking

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:22:00 +0000

When time allows, I bang the drums in a band called (R), and we recently recorded some live demos. Here’s a taster - as the titles suggest, the first one is about drinking, the second one a word of advice to the youth of today. Befitting of a band of middle-aged gits fighting a losing battle against ageing with guitar(R)s, d(R)ums and bee(R).

my top ten albums of 2012

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:00:16 +0000

Here we go, my customary end-of-year post… my favourite 10 albums of 2012. In no particular order:

Metz - METZ
Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
The Men - Open Your Heart
Death Grips - The Money Store
Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself
Sauna Youth - Dreamlands
Unsane - Wreck
Rolo Tomassi - Astraea
Sharon Van Etten - Tramp
Swans - The Seer

I say “no particular order”, but it’s fair to say that METZ is my most favourite of them all. I’m getting close to 50, and yet when listening to “Wasted” or “Sad Pricks” on that album, all I want to do is throw myself into a mosh pit somewhere. Highly undignified.

Here’s all the albums in a glorious Spotify playlist:

brycedotvc: Look into Henry Rollins’ eyes as he recounts his...

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:06:04 +0100

brycedotvc:

Look into Henry Rollins’ eyes as he recounts his story of a lucky break and a life of determined action to make the most of it. Hear beyond the words to what motivated him more than fame or money and how he describes the alternative path of life he was running from.

Hustle. Determination. Tenacity. Fear.

Entrepreneurship comes in all shapes and evades a single adjective or verb. It’s a complex cocktail of risks taken and evaded. It’s a way of life that many are drawn to for opportunity or a haven for others running from the alternative.

Henry’s story gives a glimpse into the less often discussed latter source of motivation.

What a great song, from a band I only heard about via a tweet...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:57:54 +0000

What a great song, from a band I only heard about via a tweet from Pulled Apart By Horses.

my top 2011 shows

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:12:33 +0000

Following on from the top albums, a less “scientific” list of my top gigs in 2011. Looking at my Songkick Yearly Report there’s so much good stuff it’s really hard to pick individual shows, but I’m giving it a shot anyway… in no particular order, and quite possibly subject to change depending on current mood, here are some of my most memorable gigs of 2011:

Sleigh Bells, Teeth & MEN at Heaven

Parts & Labor at CAMP

Givers at Madame JoJo’s

Obits at Union Pool

Rolo Tomassi & Brontide at The Garage

Sea Of Bees at Northampton Square Bandstand (Bandstand Busking)

Cerebral Ballzy at Latitude Festival

TV On The Radio at Williamsburg Waterfront

Mogwai at End Of The Road Festival

Three Trapped Tigers at The Garage

Touché Amoré at Santos Party House

my top 2011 albums

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:49:00 +0000

Rather than actually thinking about it, this year I’ve just looked at my last.fm scrobbles of albums released in 2011, and let that tell me what my favourite albums were. Most played = favourite, right? Easy… so here goes, without comment, but with Spotify links so you can check them out yourselves:

10. Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me - Touché Amoré

9. Johnny Foreigner vs Everything - Johnny Foreigner

8. WHATEVER - Teeth

7. David Comes To Life - Fucked Up

6. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will - Mogwai

5. Slave Ambient - The War On Drugs

4. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

3. Grouplove EP/ Never Trust A Happy Song - Grouplove

2. Cults - Cults

… and drum roll … number one:

1. Constant Future - Parts & Labor

Death Grips - Klink. This is immense, with Black Flag sample and...

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:12:33 +0100

Death Grips - Klink. This is immense, with Black Flag sample and all…

Chelsea Market's public Wifi EULA ...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:26:50 +0100

“I promise to refrain from any hanky panky.
Or anything that would make anyone get cranky.
Anything I do with this connection that is lame,
I absolve Chelsea Market, et al, of any blame.”

… always makes me smile.

The War On Drugs - Black Water Falls. Can’t beat a bit of...

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:05:02 +0100

The War On Drugs - Black Water Falls. Can’t beat a bit of Dylanesque Shoegaze.

5 personal Latitude 2011 highlights

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:02:00 +0100

Despite the less than perfect weather and plenty of mud, there was lots of excellent music to be had at Latitude this year. Here’s my fairly random 5 personal highlights, although there was a lot more worthy of mention (Eels, Ghostpoet, Gold Panda, Cloud Control just some of them..)

I was really looking forward to Grouplove, and they turned out to be my first highlight on Friday. A great fun vibe throughout, they threw giant balloons into the crowd at the end of their set.

The National headlined the main stage on Friday night, and were as good as always. To the crowd’s delight, Matt Berninger went on one of his long walkabouts during their last song.

Ed Sheeran was up first on Saturday, and managed to beat the pissing rain. It’s hard to imagine anyone disliking him, he’s such a charming guy on stage (and a local Suffolk boy). He talked to the crowd a lot during the set, including how he’s been coming to Latitude for the last 4 years as a punter, and how great it is to be playing here now.

For my hardcore punk fix, I went to see Cerebral Ballzy, who managed to get an impressive moshpit going. Absolutely fantastic young Brooklyn band, one of the best hardcore bands I’ve seen live recently.

My highlight on Sunday was Sea Of Bees, a folky/acoustic duo. I had barely even heard of them before, and almost came across them by accident, but was really taken by Julie Baenziger’s unique voice and oddly funny stage presence. One of the reasons I love festivals like Latitude is exactly this - serendipity!

Spotify links: Grouplove, Cerebral Ballzy, Sea Of Bees

Condolences, by Touché Amoré I just absolutely love these lyrics...

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:54:00 +0100

Condolences, by Touché Amoré

I just absolutely love these lyrics - especially the line emphasised below…

If you fantasize about your funeral, I understand
I’ve been there before
If there’s more importance in the music played
Than who’d attend
We
Are
The
Same
With heads to the ground, As I’m lowered down,
There will be a chorus
An overwhelming sound.

Today it has to be Dylan: my favourite version of my favourite...

Tue, 24 May 2011 11:55:00 +0100

Today it has to be Dylan: my favourite version of my favourite song - Idiot Wind, from the Hard Rain live film/album.

Just those last few lines alone…..:

I been double-crossed now for the very last time and now I’m finally free
I kissed goodbye the howling beast on the borderline which separated you from me
You’ll never know the hurt I suffered nor the pain I rise above
And I’ll never know the same about you, your holiness or your kind of love
And it makes me feel so sorry

Idiot wind, blowing through the buttons of our coats
Blowing through the letters that we wrote
Idiot wind, blowing through the dust upon our shelves
We’re idiots, babe
It’s a wonder we can even feed ourselves

Let’s Go Swimming by @allodarlinuk - still my favourite...

Fri, 20 May 2011 17:33:00 +0100

Let’s Go Swimming by @allodarlinuk - still my favourite summery Fri PM song.. and Tooting Bec Lido opens in a week!

an american hardcore tape

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:35:21 +0100

an american hardcore tape

All Black Everything - My favourite song from the Lupe Fiasco...

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:17:00 +0000

All Black Everything - My favourite song from the Lupe Fiasco album

What’s He Building In There? We Have A Right To Know.

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:32:50 +0000

What’s He Building In There? We Have A Right To Know.

Enjoying the new Chase & Status album - here’s Hypest...

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:12:06 +0000

Enjoying the new Chase & Status album - here’s Hypest Hype

Having a Pere Ubu evening: I need a drink/ I can’t...

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 23:35:18 +0000

Having a Pere Ubu evening: I need a drink/ I can’t think/ I like the Kinks/ Life stinks

What I Want (The Mummers Vs French Horn Rebellion) - loving this

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:01:28 +0000

What I Want (The Mummers Vs French Horn Rebellion) - loving this

OFF! A West Coast hardcore “supergroup” with a song...

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:15:31 +0000

OFF! A West Coast hardcore “supergroup” with a song named “Jeffrey Lee Pierce”. What more do I need to say?